So we are 37 weeks, which is considered full-term for twins!  I’m so proud of my babies already, and thankful that they’ve made it so far.  The c-section will be soon, and I’m hoping they are very big enough and healthy enough.

Here are the 37 week pictures:

So this week was uneventful, mainly because I can barely move.  My monster feet are getting even more monster-like.  I’m lumbering around like a monster, too.  I also had my first “bad mommy” moment 😦  I was scooting myself up to the dinner table and smacked my stomach on the table- in the same spot as a little head.  I almost went to the birthing center to have them checked out, but they were moving around and I had a non-stress test the next day.  Luckily it seems like everything is okay.  We had three NSTs and two ultrasounds this week.  I also pre-registered and got blood drawn to make the process go smoothly for the c-section.  Lucky me, the ultrasound tech and the phlebotomist were both in training 😉

The nursery is finished, we have the car seats and the stroller in the car.  We are so excited to meet them, but it’s bittersweet.  I’ll miss feeling them wiggle around, and knowing that they are always with me, knowing that when I eat they eat, and that they are taken care of, all snug in there.  On the other hand, we can’t wait to finally see them and meet them and find out who these little ones are!  

Until the next post… with pictures of babies 🙂

We made it to 36 weeks, and the babies will definitely be June babies!  Their zodiac sign will be Gemini- the symbol for which is the twins 😉  Kind of serendipity.

I am definitely getting more uncomfortable, but I feel extremely lucky that we’ve all made it to 36 weeks.

This week the babies are the size of a head of Romaine lettuce, but a lot heavier!  They are still moving a lot, but they really squirm more than kick or punch- proof that they are running out of room.  A few times when I’ve laid my hand on my stomach I think I’ve scared them- they jump!

I actually can use my “shelf” quite a bit- especially for holding cans while drinking with a straw.  I’ll miss that ability.  

It’s also gotten hot, so the pool is definitely my friend in more ways than one.  And I can’t seem to get enough to drink.  I want one of those beer hats, but filled with water or smoothie or ICEE instead.

We are getting more and more excited to meet them, and of course nervous too.  We meet our doctor next week for a “pre-op” appointment.  If you had asked me last month, I would have said it seems like I’ve been pregnant for forever.  Now it seems like it’s gone by so quickly!

We are 35 weeks!  The babies are the size of honeydew melons… or my personal favorite (according to one website) the size of roasting chickens.  They are continuing to gain weight, their brains are working hard, and I read that they now have a full set of finger and toenails, which I have been imagining scratching at my bladder- because that’s what it feels like.  

You can see that my little scratching chickens are growing:

My maternity shirts are getting a bit tight!  More pictures from this week- it’s getting hot out here, so I am trying to keep the roasting chickens cool!

So I thought it would be fun to record the best things people have said to me lately- I feel like a celebrity who can’t go anywhere without comments.  Mostly people are trying to be super nice, but sometimes their “conversation starter” comes out a little badly.  So here goes:

At the hairdressers: “Are you having triplets?”  Hmmm… thank you for throwing that out there, and for going one step above asking if I’m having twins.  Now I have to say “no”, and isn’t that super awkward for both of us?

At the pool, and old man says to me: “Nice flotation!”   Wha?  Nice flotation?  I’m actually swimming back and forth, so are you saying you’re impressed that I’m not sinking?  I have a confused look on my face before he says, “The baby must like it too”. Oh!  Okay, this was your segue into talking about the “baby”.  So you weren’t really congratulating me on not drowning.  Got it.

A girl in my neighborhood told me I looked “extra pregnant”, which I thought was actually a great way of describing me.

A woman at the front desk of our community pool: “You look great!” I’m thinking, thanks! before she adds, “except for your belly”.  Okay, I see where you were trying to go with this, but really I think it came out wrong.  

I hate any comment with the word “Wow!” in it.  Especially one guy, who just made a loud, extended “Woooooowwwwww” as I got out of my mother’s car in a parking lot.  I’m sure I’m not the only pregnant woman he’s ever seen?  Right? 

Two people also asked me if the twins were “planned”.  Yes, I pre-programmed this.  It was like ordering off of a menu.

Really, it’s nice that people are so interested, and that they want to talk to me.  I just think some of the things they say are funny, and actually a lot of people do say really sweet and totally acceptable things!  And to be fair, I do look huge.  I even almost knocked a bowl of watermelon over this morning, so I can’t really blame people for noticing.

We are getting so excited to meet the babies, and now their room is almost all set and ready for them.

Thank you to all of our wonderful, amazing friends and family who have made our cute little nursery possible.  We couldn’t have done it without you, and we can’t believe how lucky we are.  I’m sure the babies can already feel how loved they are!

We’ve reached 34 weeks, which is very important in two ways.  First of all, I can now deliver in Prescott, and won’t have to be taken to Phoenix (although that also means I’m missing out on a helicopter ride).  Secondly, babies born after 34 weeks have a really good chance not only of surviving, but of doing just as well as full-term babies, with no developmental delays or health problems later in life.  I’m still ordering them to stay in there for a few more weeks, but we are relieved to be at 34 weeks, to say the least.

So here you have all the possible angles, so you can see the baby bump in all its massive glory.  Other than feeling like a house, or a beached whale, I’m feeling pretty well.  Eating has become something of a challenge- I’m either dangerously ravenous or completely stuffed.  A handful of grapes is about the right size meal… until I’m starving 10 minutes later.  I just figure that means lots of smoothies and frappes and ice cream are in order!

The babies are still being monitored with non-stress tests twice a week, and they are doing fine.  Each baby is the size of a butternut squash this week, or so I read.  They still love to kick their mother in the bladder, and I know they are still breech because I can feel two little heads.  

This week we picked a pediatrician, and we have made progress on the nursery.  We have the walls painted and the cribs put together, along with the changing table.  And the clothes are in the dresser!

Now we just need to finalize names (which will be a secret until they arrive) and pack the hospital bag.

We are celebrating Mother’s Day and 33 weeks!  🙂

Notice that the “old” shirt and pants no longer fit!  Even the maternity shirt is being tested to its limits.  The babies are the size of a durian.  Don’t know what a durian fruit looks like?  Here’s one:

The babies are pretty well developed now, so they’re still mainly working on getting fatter.

Last week we had a good doctor’s visit, and an ultrasound where we saw the baby girl yawn 🙂  We also started our non-stress tests at the hospital.  Not really fun, but at least they are keeping an eye on the babies!  Daddy also spent a lot of time getting things in the nursery together.  Thanks to wonderful family, he got to put together their dresser- great job Dad!

Also thanks to wonderful and generous family, we have the cutest diapers ever made!  And environmentally friendly too!

 Saturday was my breastfeeding class- I’m going to have to use the double-football hold!  I no longer have ankles, but I can’t see them anyway when I’m standing.  I pant if I exert myself in any way, but I so love to lay there and watch the babies’ move.  I still continue to sing the babies the same song every day (“You are my sunshine” adapted to “You are my sunshineS”, of course) so hopefully they’ll come out knowing the words!  

We are 32 weeks now, and feeling bigger every day.  This week Joshua and I “graduated” from our family birthing class at the hospital, although “birthing” isn’t really something you do as a family…

Here is Dad swaddling a baby.  We learned that if you swaddle them, and jiggle their head around, and practically scream “SHHHHHH” into their ear, they’ll be quiet.  No doubt from being so stunned at what you are doing to them (courtesy of “Happiest Baby on the Block”).

This week the babies are the size of jicama- another comparison which does me no good, since I have no idea how big a jicama really is.  

Here are the photos:

I feel like I should always be holding my stomach up now, for fear that it might just slump to the ground.  I can tell it’s getting tighter in there for them, since their movements are different.  Not so jabby, but a LOT stronger. Sometimes I feel like they push on my bladder with their feet, and my belly button with their head, in hopes of getting a good stretch.  They are pretty well developed now, so their main job is to pack on the pounds.  As you can see in the photos above, that is something they seem to be doing quite well.

Meanwhile, I’ve been sleeping like a baby.  Meaning I wake up every two hours to either go to the bathroom or eat.  I drop things all the time, which is really unfortunate for me because bending over to pick something up is a thing I really only want to do in private now.  Getting in and out of the car is a new challenge.  I still shave my legs, but how well I do it is a mystery to me (Joshua can probably tell you…)

Next week we start non-stress tests twice a week at the hospital.  Even though they call it a “non” stress test, it stresses me out.  I am, however, so glad they will be monitored so closely!

These are our 31 week pictures:

That poor (non-maternity!) shirt has held up pretty well.  

The babies are either the size of coconuts this week, or pineapples, which to me seem pretty different, but maybe not if you don’t count the leaves on top of the pineapple.  They should be adding baby fat now, and they are almost the length they’ll be at birth.  They were doing fine at our doctor’s appointment this week.  The doc had a medical student and a nurse with him who really wanted to watch the ultrasound, so this appointment was a spectator sport.  For added entertainment, the baby boy had the hiccups during the entire ultrasound 🙂

I don’t think it’s possible for me to go out in public anymore without someone mentioning the pregnancy- which can be funny, and it’s often endearing.  One of the most common is “Looks like you’re having a baby!”  Looks like?  Thanks- hand’t noticed!  My favorite from last week was when I went shopping and heard a father say to his young son, “Look, that lady swallowed a watermelon” to which the child replied, “Wow, how did she do that?!”  

We’ve started working on the nursery, and washing all the tiny clothes!  We are getting more and more excited each day!

We reached 30 weeks on Easter Sunday!  Here are some pictures (in the “new” house):

The weird thing you see under my shirt isn’t any sort of weird underwear, it is a pregnancy belt, which I obviously need just by looking at how far out my stomach extends.

The babies should be around 3 lbs now, and are as long as a cucumber (a 15-inch one.  These veggie analogies just get so interesting…)

We also had a wonderful baby shower on Saturday.  I couldn’t feel more lucky and grateful- it was so perfect!  So many family and friends, near and far, participated in a pre-baby welcome!

Some party decor…

This pretty little watermelon carriage was made by my parents 🙂

And here are the bunnies helping to get rid of the “practice” carriage:

Some present-opening pictures.  We had such a lovely time, and received so many great things- but spending time with our friends and family was the best part!

Yes babies, this is your daddy and his very good friend Jorge.  As you can see, you will have lots of fun with them 🙂

We are at 29 weeks now, and each baby is about the size of a butternut squash.  They should be getting close to 3 lbs. now, and I can tell there is less and less room for them, because their punches are becoming stronger and stronger.  I’ve also definitely felt them having bouts of the hiccups!  

A few disclaimers.  One, everything looks orange because of our camera- I do not have jaundice.  Two, we are running out of paper for our signs, so we are trying to be economical.

We also practiced a baby carriage watermelon for the upcoming shower- and then we let Kiki and Pitu have fun with the remains.  Kiki was the braver of the two- Pitu was scared of it at first.

And we moved into our house this week, with lots and lots of help from wonderful family and friends!  And we now have both car seats and the stroller set up and ready in their room!  Our first baby purchases- so exciting!

We are now at 28 weeks, the beginning of our 3rd trimester!  The second trimester seems to last forever, so I’m glad to be moving on.

We also had our level 2 ultrasound this week in Phoenix.  It was nerve-wracking, since they went over every inch of each baby, looking for abnormalities.  Much to our relief everything looks good!  Baby boy weighs 2.4 lbs, and baby girl is 2.2 lbs.

Then we went on an exhausting and overwhelming tour of Baby’s R Us.  There are a lot of things you can buy for a baby, and too many choices!  We did have another milestone- grandma and grandpa bought the car seats!  And the babies’ other grandma bought their bassinets!  Having actual baby things is a reminder that the big day is getting closer!

A few thoughts on being pregnant:

1.  People stare at you.  If I’ve ever stared at a pregnant woman before, I’m sorry for it now.  It seems like everyone stares, everywhere I go.  It’s weird.

2.  People give you the advice to “sleep now!” when it’s pretty much impossible to sleep comfortably.  It’s probably good advice, but really just rubs salt in the wound.

3.  You really do have to be careful what you say to a pregnant woman.  I always imagined I wouldn’t care if people commented on my pregnancy- I mean of course they are going to comment!  But when perfect strangers ask me if I’m about to “pop” or if I’m going to have the baby any day now (especially when my answer has to be “no”) I want to smack them.  Really, the only acceptable thing to say is to tell the woman how wonderful she looks.  And if you can’t do that, don’t say anything.  

4. Get used to walking like you’re 80.  Maybe that’s why people stare…

5. I never stop worrying.  Each doctor’s appointment, each week that goes by, I think will be the time I’ll stop worrying and start relaxing.  Hasn’t happened yet.

6.  Between being extremely thirsty and having the babies dance on my bladder, I might as well live in the bathroom.

7.  Despite any pain, discomfort, or anxiety- I love being pregnant.  And I already love my babies.